Vulcanizing press



Patented May 29, 1923.

CARL E. new, or AKRON, OHIO.

" V'ULCANIZING PRESS.

Application filed May 3,

' aiZZ whom z't may concern: 1

' Be it known that I, CARL E. RETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Im provements in Vulcanizing Presses, ofwhich the. following is a specification.

This invention relates to vulcanizing presses particularly adapted andintended for the vulcanization of pneumatic tires in molds, but capableof course of use for vulcanizingany articles to..which it may besuitable. 1 r Invulcanizmg tires for example, itis common to enclosethetire molds in a rather long'or high upright tank-or chamber belowwhich is a hydraulic plunger or ram having a stem or piston rod whichworks in a well.

This makes a high and'costly structure, frequently extendingthroughseveral floors of a fact'ory, and is attended'witn various otherobjections some of which will-be referred to hereinafter. One of theobjects of the present invenavoids or omits the use of the long well orpressure chamber for theirod of the hydrautionis to provide aconstruction. which lie press. By this means the height of the structureis materially lessened.

'A further object of the invention is to provide a construction in whichthe pressure chamber -is :made ofsections so that this height may bevaried according to the ca- 7 pacity desired.

=ing the condensate resulting from the steam used-in'the pressurechamber. This isdone .by means of an annular colleetlngchamber,

nearthe bottom of the press, surrounding a .barrel'or cylinder whichforms a continua-- tion of the upper partof the tank and in 'which theplunger is caused to movebyhydraulic pressure admitted below.

q Aiurther-Object-Of the invention is to provide imprOVed means formaking the steam 'andw'ater connections for the supply and,

removal thereof in consequence of the heat- -=ing7 and coolingoperations; 504'.

ariousother details of improvement will --be apparent from thefollowingrdescription and the accompanying drawings in which "Figure-1',is a side elevation of the press.

plate to seat against.

1922. Serial No. 558,098.

is a side elevation of the plunger.

The pressure tank or chamber consists of a series of sections 6connectedby bolted flange JOlIlt-S 7,'and the number of these sectionsmay be varied according to the capacity desired. At the top is a section8 which has a removable cover 9 which may be held in place bytheordinary castellated lock 10, but which can be removed when the moldsare to hydraulic ram or be discharged from the heating chamber.

This upper section 8 is also provided with flood water outlets 11, whichwill be connected to suitable valved pipes leading to waste orotherwise.

cated in high position, quite close to the top These outlets are loofthe pressure chamber, so that all the molds 1n the chamber can beflooded during the cooling operation. The cover 9 is hollow, as shown at12, with aninsulating plate 13 thereunder, so that loss of heat isprevented,

a gasket 14 being-placed at the joint for the N ear the lower, end ofthe pressure chamber is a section 15, the side wall of which is.somewhat flared at the bottom as indicated at 16 and provided with a setof spacedribs l7 with grooves between, and these grooves communicatewith an annular chamber 18 in the section 19 next below. The inner facesofthe ribs 17 areflush with the inner surface of the main body of thepressurechamber, and also flush with an inner cylinder or barrel 20which is supported or mounted within the lower part of the structure,bymeans of an external flange 21 which is bolted'between the lower flangeof the section 19 and a flange at the upper edge of a cupped .basemember 22, which mtay be supported on a concrete block .or otherwise tocarry the weight of the whole apparatus, The flange 21 also forms apartition between the condensate chamber 18, and the water pressurechamber 23 in the base member 22, and the barrel 20 extends upwardlyintothe section .19 and downwardly in the section 22, being spaced from thebottom of thelatter as in- 'dicated at 24 to allow the water to'.enterbelow the hydraulic ram or plunger which ,works in the barrel 20and is also capable of being moved upwardly throughout practically thewhole length of the pressure chams ber. The plunger consists of an uppermember 25 which has radial ribs 26 spaced apart to form outlets throughwhich the water of the pressure chamber.

being hollow serves to insulate the pressure chamber from the waterchaml'ier below. The sections can also be handled and fitted easier thana solid plunger.

The section "l is provided with a steam comiection- 33 her the *i-nletof steam to The condensation section 19 is also provided with aconnection "34 'lor removal of the water of 'condensation and for theadmission ofthe cooling or flooding water. The base section22 has aconnection, for the'water pressure.

All of these connections will be provided with suitable valves in thepipes lea-ding thereto, to control the various. operations. As usual,thetires to be vulcanized are encased in molds 40, which are stacked inthrough the top, the bottom mold resting on the ribs 26 on the. plungerhead.

In operation, the pressure chamber being filled with molds; thehydraulic plunger is lifted by wate'r admitted through the con.-

nection 35 to the chamber'23, and pressing upwardly on the plunger liftsthe same to press the molds, Steam is then admitted through theconnection 33 into the pressure ffchamber, and themolds are heated toefi'eet by-admitting water through the connection the vulcanization. The"water of condensa- 1 I tion flows down into the annular well 18 and maybe let out to waste. The steam being'turned off, the molds are thencooled 34, and this water rises from the condensation chamber intothe'heating chamber until it is let out through the outlets 11. The

cover 9 being then removed, the, hydraulic plunger is lifted to raisethe stack of molds out through the top of the tank, and the operationmay then be repeated with the next stack of molds. The controllingvalves for the'various supply and waste connections will of course bemanipulated according to the progress of the operations.

1. A vulcaniaing press comprising an upright chamber provided at itslower end with an internal barrel, a condensate chambersurrounding saidbarrel, and a hydraulic plunger working in said barrel. c0

2. A vulcanizi'ng press comprising an upright chamberprovided at itslower end with an internalgbarrel, the wall of the chamber being spacedaround the barrel to form an annular condensate chamber, and ahydraulicplunger working in said barrel.

3. A vulcanizing press comprising'an upright chamber formed insectiuns,a barrel supported Within the lower. soefliausysaid lowersections being enlarged and spaced from; the barrel to form an annularcondensate chamber surrounding the barrel, and a hydraulic plungerworking in the barrel.

4. A vulcanizi'ng press comprising an upright chamber, an internalbarrel supported in the lower end of said chamber, an amnul-arcondensate chamber surroundingsaid barrel and communicating at its upperend with. the chamber above the barrel, said barrel being openat itslower end, a plunger working in the barrel, and a closed base membersupporting "said chambersand forming a hydraulic pressure chamber opento the lower end of the. barrel. v

5. A vulcanizing press comprising. an upright pressure chamber,anennular eondonsate chamber at the lower end of said pressure chamberandcommunicating therewith, a barrel supported within the. condensatechamber in line with they pressure chamber,

and a hydraulic plunger working, iuthe barrel and pressure chamber. Iv

6. A vulcanizing press comprisingaan upright pressure chamber,an'annulir mndimsate chamber thereunder., and a water pres surechamber-under the condensate chamber and forming the base: of themachine, a barrel supported in the condensate andhydraulic pressurechambers, said barrel being open at its top at its bottom to the.waterchamber, and a plunger workinginthebarrel and the pressure chamber.3

7. A vulcanizing press comprising an upright tubular pressure chamberadapted to receive molds," 'a tubular section under said uprightchamber, and a euppedzbasesection under the last mentioned section, abarrel supported in the two lower-"seetionsnnd spaced from thesidewalls. theme! to form a condensate ehanfler and a water pressurechamber, a partition between the last. mentioned chambers, saidpartition extending from thebarrelto the outer wall of said chambers,and a hydraulicplunger working in the barrel and the pressure chamber,the inner surfaces of the barrel and the'preseure to the pressurechamber and chamber bein flush with each 'other to pen mit the trave ofthe plunger.

8. A vulcamzmg presscompnsingan up right pressure chamber, anda-hydmulic plunger at the bottomof said'chamber, said plunger consistingof hollow swtions.

9. A Vulcanizing" press com rising on upright pressure chamber, an a hdreu-lio plunger at the bottom of said chum 1*, said plunger consistingof hollowaoctions, and provided with packing rings ctthe joints betweenthe sections. 1 1 J Y 10. A lcanizingpmss comprfiing mun right chamberhaving at its lower end an annular condensate chamber communicating atits upper end with said pressure chamber, a

' barrel within and spaced from the wall of the pressure chamber, andthe upper end of the condensate chamber being provided with Y 1spaced'ribs to permit the escape of condensate from the pressure chamberto the condensate chamber, and a hydraulic plunger Working in the barreland pressure chamber.

12. A vulcanizing press comprising an upright pressure chamber with anenlarged section at its lower end, a cup-shaped base member under saidlower section and forming a water pressure chamber, and a barrelsupported in the enlarged section and the base chamber, said barrelhaving an external flange forming a partition between the water pressurechamber and the space above the same, and a hydraulic plunger working inthe barrel and pressure chamber.

13. A vulcanizing press comprising an up right pressure chamber havingWater outlets near the top and a condensate chamber at the bottom, saidcondensate chamber being provided with a water connection, and thepressure chamber being provided with a connection for steam, a barrelsupported in the condensate chamber, in line with the pressure chamber,and a hydraulic plunger working in the barrel and the pressure chamber.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL E. RETT. Witnesses:

F. E. EvANs, M. A. QUIGLEY.

